Seattle-based artist Shelly Corbett is very serious about play. Her enchanting photography creates a sense of joy and wonder by revealing the unexpected. The toys take center stage, whether they’re flying pigs, bicycling stormtroopers or canoeing princesses. Her imaginative compositions turn the tiny into the mighty. You’ll find magic, hope, friendship and epic journeys with her magical imagery.
Originally a photographer of the human form, Shelly became enamored of not-quite-human, yellow-in-color, 1 1/2"-tall plastic figures. Figures that had stories to tell, demons to slay, joys to seize. Shelly's toy companions and their worlds embody the archetypal paths we mere mortals can only hope to traverse.
Her signature blurred landscapes evoke a certain privacy and intimacy, as if her toy subjects are inviting you into their secret worlds. Shelly achieves this using various photography and lighting techniques, special lenses and props.
The magical effect is further enhanced in her one-of-a-kind encaustic pieces. She creates layered images and adds wax and pigments that create depth and luminosity.
Shelly doesn’t just create art for you to enjoy. She shares her photography techniques, storytelling skills and more in her periodic workshops, as well as lends support and expertise on the Toy Photographers blog. You can find Shelly at art festivals around the Pacific Northwest.